Topic 8 of 8
Step 3: Adding and subtracting to 20
Telling time to the hour and half hour
Step 3 · Adding and subtracting to 20 topics
Read the hour hand and minute hand on a clock, and tell and write times to the hour and the half hour.
The two hands
A clock has a short hand and a long hand. The short hand is the hour hand: it shows the hour. The long hand is the minute hand: it shows how many minutes past the hour.
The minute hand goes all the way round once every hour. The hour hand moves slowly from one number to the next in that hour.
Time to the hour
When the long hand points straight up at 12, it is exactly on the hour. The short hand shows which hour. Short hand on 3, long hand on 12: it is 3 o'clock, written 3:00.
Time to the half hour
When the long hand points straight down at 6, it has gone halfway round: half an hour, 30 minutes, after the hour. The short hand is halfway between two numbers.
Read the hour from the number the short hand has just passed. At half past 4 the short hand is between 4 and 5, so the hour is 4.
Example: Reading half past
The short hand is between 7 and 8 and the long hand points to 6. What time is it?
- The long hand on 6 means half past.
- The short hand has passed 7.
AnswerHalf past 7, written 7:30
Try it yourself
Work each one on paper first, then open the answer to check.
The short hand points to 9 and the long hand to 12. What time is it?
Show answer
9 o'clock, 9:00.
The long hand points to 6 and the short hand is between 2 and 3. What time is it?
Show answer
Half past 2, 2:30.
Write half past 10 the digital way.
Show answer
10:30.
What time is one hour after 5:00?
Show answer
6:00.
What time is half an hour after 3:00?
Show answer
3:30.